Bourbon, bow ties, and beautiful steeds—it’s the South’s most refined showdown: the Kentucky Derby! While the race is only two minutes, this long-standing tradition on the first Saturday of May is worthy of an all-day affair. As you plan your party’s menu and the details for celebrating with loved ones, it only makes sense to host this event with another long-standing tradition: Wisconsin Cheese. Explore and savor some of our cheeses, recipes and ideas here to make this Derby Day the best one yet.
Run for the Rose
Our Kentucky Derby celebration menu features elegant dishes inspired by the South’s iconic flavors matched with Wisconsin’s specialty cheeses. With the two, you can place your bet that your party food will be perfect. Enjoy a pairing, make a recipe or two, and for that extra special touch, make striking cheese roses for your table’s centerpiece.
Best of all? Six cheeses are all you need to pull this menu together. Taste them in the following recipes for a Derby Day that will go down in history!
- Start the party with a remarkable cheese pairing (pictured above) featuring Roelli Lowlander Goudse Kaas cheese, a Dutch-style gouda. Handcrafted by fourth-generation Master Cheesemaker Chris Roelli, the Lowlander features honeyed, nutty notes that are amplified when paired with the sweet, minty flavors of a classic mint julep, the Derby’s signature beverage.
Make it: Prosciutto and Pimento Cheese Cups
- Delicious three-ingredient snacks like Prosciutto and Pimento Cheese Cups are made simple with Palmetto Cheese Spread Original Homestyle Pimento Cheese. This version of the creamy spread, fondly called the pâté of the South, is made with Wisconsin-crafted sharp cheddar and the regional favorite, pimentos. It has the taste and texture of homemade pimento cheese, so it’s easy to share and enjoy, leaving you plenty of time to cheer on your favorite horse!
Make it: Marinated Shrimp Feta and Cucumber Salad
- Fresh and fabulous describes this next dish: the Marinated Shrimp, Feta, and Cucumber Salad recipe. Bright and tangy Café Olympia Feta turns up the volume on this salad’s spring flavors. One of Nasonville Dairy’s specialties, their Master Cheesemakers have crafted this award-winning, pleasantly tart and salty feta cheese for over 30 years.
Make it: Gouda and Bourbon Cherry Compote Purses
- These designer purses will be the talk of the party. Marieke® Gouda’s Plain Mature cheese adds effortless chic and richness to these Gouda and Bourbon Cherry Compote Purses. This mature farmstead raw milk gouda from Master Cheesemaker Marieke Penterman has a full flavor with a subtle bite, caramel notes and just the right stylish flair to bring a bit of swagger to your menu.
Make it: Mini Hot Browns
- Widmer’s One Year Cheddar lends showstopping decadence to these Mini Hot Browns. Master Cheesemaker Joe Widmer believes doing things the old-fashioned way is the key to keeping Widmer’s Cheese Cellars in the winner’s circle year after year. You can wager that melting their cheddar into this version of the famed Louisville sandwich will bring a bite of bliss to your race-day revelry.
Make it: Pavlovas with Bourbon Cheddar Cream
- Your guests are going to get lucky! When the famous mint julep flavors meet Henning Maple Bourbon Cheddar, the result is a dreamy pastry cream that elevates our Pavlovas with Bourbon Cheddar Cream recipe to a trophy-worthy dessert of the roses and, dare we say it, the Triple Crown. The mint julep has been the official drink of the Kentucky Derby since 1939, and it’s a tradition few can resist. These pavlovas will be another.
